Air fish are aquatic animals that have been magically altered to live in the air. They have a natural ability to levitate, and swim through the air by moving their tails and fins.

Air fish breathe air, they have lost their ancestors' ability to breathe water and can drown like most air-breathing creatures. Wild air fish are only found in hot, humid environments, such as rainforests or tropical swamps. They must keep their skins and gills moist to avoid death by dehydration.

COMBAT
Most air fish are not aggressive, fleeing perceived threats. They will bite in self-defense if unable to escape. Some of the larger carnivorous air fish may try to eat humanoids when particularly hungry, but they prefer to prey upon small animals.

Flight (Ex): An air fish's body is naturally buoyant. This buoyancy allows it to fly and also grants it a permanent feather fall effect (as the spells) with personal range.

Humidity Dependent (Ex): If an air fish spends more than 24 hours outside a humid environment, its skin grows dry and brittle. An air fish with dried-out skin must make a Constitution check each hour (DC 10, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d4 points of damage. The air fish can cure its dried-out skin by soaking in water for one minute, or by staying in a humid atmosphere for an hour.

Skills: An air fish has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

Air Fish (template)
The above sample creatures can be used to emulate air fish versions of most real-world fish. For larger, or more unique fish, the following template may be applied.

Creating an Air Fish
"Air fish" is an inherited template that can be added to any animal with the Aquatic subtype (referred to hereafter as the base creature).

Size and Type: The base creature's type changes to Magical Beast and it loses its Aquatic subtype. An air fish retains all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted below.

Speed: An air fish gains a fly speed equal to the base creature's fastest movement rate. Its aerial maneuverability rating is average if the base creature Small or larger, good if it is Tiny or smaller.

Base Attack Bonus: An air fish has a base attack bonus equal to its total Hit Dice (as a Magical Beast).

Attacks: An air fish has the same natural weapons and damage as the base creature, but its attack modifiers increase according to its increased base attack bonus.

Special Qualities: An air fish retains all the abilities of the base creature and gains the following abilities.

Flight (Ex): An air fish's body is naturally buoyant. This buoyancy allows it to fly and also grants it a permanent feather fall effect (as the spells) with personal range.

Humidity Dependent (Ex): If an air fish spends more than 24 hours outside a humid environment, its skin grows dry and brittle. An air fish with dried-out skin must make a Constitution check each hour (DC 10, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d4 points of damage. The air fish can cure its dried-out skin by soaking in water for one minute, or by staying in a humid atmosphere for an hour.

Feats: An air fish gains Hover as a bonus feat. If the base creature has a feat that is only usable in water (like Swimby Attack) it can exchange it for another feat (such as Flyby Attack).

Environment: Warm land.
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature.
Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature.

Sample Air Fish
The following creatures have gained the air fish template.

These carnivorous flying fish are aggressive and liable to make unprovoked attacks against anything that approaches them. Large air sharks can reach around 15 feet in length and are a serious threat.

COMBAT
Air sharks circle and observe potential prey, then dart in and bite with their powerful jaws.

Blindsense (Ex) : A shark can locate creatures underwater within a 30-foot radius. This ability works only when the shark is underwater.

Flight (Ex): An air shark's body is naturally buoyant. This buoyancy allows it to fly and also grants it a permanent feather fall effect (as the spells) with personal range.

Humidity Dependent (Ex): If an air shark spends more than 24 hours outside a humid environment, its skin grows dry and brittle. An air shark with dried-out skin must make a Constitution check each hour (DC 10, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d4 points of damage. The air shark can cure its dried-out skin by soaking in water for one minute, or by staying in a humid atmosphere for an hour.

Keen Scent (Ex) : A shark can notice creatures by scent in a 180-foot radius and detect blood in the water at ranges of up to a mile.

Skills: A shark has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

Air goldfish are one of the most numerous types of air fish, occasionally gathering in large enough numbers to form swarms. These fish are omnivorous, hearty and breed rapidly, so are easy to raise in captivity either as food animals or decorative pets. They are usually kept in birdcages or aviaries. Air goldfish may be a significant prey animal in the wild.

An air goldfish looks just like an ordinary goldfish. All air goldfish are brown when hatched, but change color when they reach adulthood. Wild air goldfish are the color of dead leaves (dull browns, yellows or reds), while most domestic varieties have been bred to become brightly colored adults (golden, orange, ruby, white, jet black or some combination of those colors). Some of these domesticated fish have escaped captivity to form colorful schools of feral fish. Air goldfish breeders have also created rare varieties with extremely peculiar shapes (bug eyes, bent tails, oversized fins, et cetera); such 'sports' are unable to survive in the wild.

A typical air goldfish is 6 to 8 inches long and weighs a few ounces.

COMBAT

Air goldfish are inoffensive animals. These fish will eat almost anything, but avoid moving creatures larger than themselves. In normal circumstances, air goldfish always try to flee from threats. They only attack dangerous creatures, such as adventurers, if compelled to by magic or other abnormal influences.

Flight (Ex): An air fish's body is naturally buoyant. This buoyancy allows it to fly and also grants it a permanent feather fall effect (as the spells) with personal range.

Humidity Dependent (Ex): If an air fish spends more than 24 hours outside a humid environment, its skin grows dry and brittle. An air fish with dried-out skin must make a Constitution check each hour (DC 10, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d4 points of damage. The air fish can cure its dried-out skin by soaking in water for one minute, or by staying in a humid atmosphere for an hour.

Skills: An air goldfish has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

Air Goldfish Swarm
A starving air goldfish swarm may attack creatures as large as humans. They can bite with enough mouths to do significant damage.

Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its turn with an air goldfish swarm in its space must succeed on a DC 11 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based.

"I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you." - Batman, Batman Begins"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight"Yeah, I can fly." - Tony Stark, Iron Man"I have no plans to die today..." - Thor, Thor"We have a Hulk." - Tony Stark, The Avengers"Hulk...smash." - Captain America, The Avengers

Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling to the ground,
but it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
returned this flower to the dirt;
so it could live, I walked away now."
Rise Against - "The Good Left Undone"

An enormous creature swims into view. Big as a longship, its flattened torpedo-shaped body tapers to a fanlike tail. A row of overlapping finlike lobes run down each flank, undulating in concert with its tail to drive the beast through the water. Its broad head sports two semi-globular eyes on short stalks and what appear to be a pair of giant, walrus-like tusks. A second look reveals these "tusks" to be tentacle-like grasping appendages lined with spiky protrusions. These appendages flex inwards towards a circular mouth on the underside of the creature's head. Said mouth irises in and out, clashing together a ring of jagged teeth; more rings of teeth lie farther down the creature’s throat, ready to grind up anything it swallows.

Anomalocaris, or "odd shrimp", somewhat resembles a giant squid with curved walrus tusks. By far the largest creature in the primeval oceans it calls home, anomalocaris is a free-swimming predator that had no competitors apart from other anomalocaris.

An anomalocatis's body is up to 80 feet long, their weight ranges from 20 tons to 150 tons or more.

COMBAT

An anomalocaris views any creature small enough to swallow as a potential meal. An anomalocaris aggressively chases prey, seizing victims in its pseudo-tusks and transferring them to its mouth to be swallowed and ground up by its toothy gullet.

An anomalocaris will attack prey on the surface as well as underwater. They may mistake ships for rival anomalocaris and attack them, which can result in vessels being capsized by an anomalocaris surfacing beneath them. Any creatures thrown in the water when their craft capsizes will usually be attacked by the anomalocaris that "defeated" its perceived rival.

Capsize (Ex): A submerged anomalocaris that surfaces under a boat or ship less than 20 feet long capsizes the vessel 95% of the time. It has a 50% chance to capsize a vessel from 20 to 60 feet long and a 20% chance to capsize one over 60 feet long.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an anomalocaris must hit with a tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can attempt to swallow the foe the following round.

Light Fortification (Ex): An anomalocaris's overlapping lateral lobes protect its vital areas and makes it resistant to extra damage from critical hits and sneak attacks. Anytime an anomalocaris is hit by a critical hit or a sneak attack, it has a 25% chance to resist the extra damage.

Swallow Whole (Ex): An anomalocaris can try to swallow a grabbed opponent two size categories smaller than itself by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent is masticated by the multiple rows of teeth lining the anomalocaris's gizzard, taking 3d8+18 points of bludgeoning/slashing/piercing damage plus 8 points of acid damage per round. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 25 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 15). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A Huge anomalocaris's interior can hold 2 Large, 8 Medium, 32 Small, 128 Tiny, or 512 Diminutive or smaller opponents.

Skills: An anomalocaris has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

"I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you." - Batman, Batman Begins"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight"Yeah, I can fly." - Tony Stark, Iron Man"I have no plans to die today..." - Thor, Thor"We have a Hulk." - Tony Stark, The Avengers"Hulk...smash." - Captain America, The Avengers

Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling to the ground,
but it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
returned this flower to the dirt;
so it could live, I walked away now."
Rise Against - "The Good Left Undone"

This heavily-built rodent has protruding incisors, large cheek pouches and a short, thick tail. Its entire body and tail are covered in grey-brown fur the color of soil.

These herbivorous rodents thrive in any terrain where the ground is dry enough for their burrows. The statistics given above are for a true gopher, or pouched gopher, but the name "gopher" is used for other kinds of burrowing rodents that can be considered to have the same game statistics.

All gophers live in burrows, which they use for shelter and to store food (nuts and grain). Many an unwary animal or traveler has tripped over one of these "gopher holes".

True gophers are solitary creatures. Their burrows will only house more than one gopher when it is a mother and her immature offspring. Some "gopher" burrowing rodents are social, connecting their own burrows with those of neighbors to create extensive tunnel networks. The plains-dwelling prairie dogs (see below) lives in colonies known as towns or cities that can have populations in the hundreds or thousands.

A character with a gopher familiar gains a +2 bonus to Fortitude saves when the master and familiar are within 1 mile of each other.

A typical gopher is between six inches and a foot long, excluding its tail, and weighs about half a pound.

COMBAT

Gophers usually run away and hide in their burrows when threatened. They bite only as a last resort.

Skills: Gophers have a +3 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks. A gopher uses its Dexterity modifier instead of its Strength modifier for Climb and Swim checks.

*A gopher's racial bonus on Hide checks increases to +6 in areas of exposed earth, such as its burrow.

Prairie Dog
A prairie dog is a ground squirrel that's about half the size of a true gopher. Apply the following changes to its statistics (those statistics that are not listed are the same as the gopher described above):

A character with a prairie dog familiar gains a +2 bonus to Spot checks when the master and familiar are within 1 mile of each other.

Prairie dogs communicate with each other by barking. While not a language as such, these barks can convey more information than most animal calls (e.g. "fox approaching", "all clear") and identify individual prairie dogs. Their aptitude for understanding language is at least as good as a dog's, and they can be trained to come when called by name.

"I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you." - Batman, Batman Begins"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight"Yeah, I can fly." - Tony Stark, Iron Man"I have no plans to die today..." - Thor, Thor"We have a Hulk." - Tony Stark, The Avengers"Hulk...smash." - Captain America, The Avengers

Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling to the ground,
but it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
returned this flower to the dirt;
so it could live, I walked away now."
Rise Against - "The Good Left Undone"

An enormous python with a body as thick as a small tree opens its mouth and hisses, reavealing that its bone-crushing coils are the lesser of its weapons, for the python's gaping jaws have venom-dripping fangs the size of stilettos.

Giant fanged pythons are survivors of an ancient lineage, descended from an age when reptiles ruled the world. These serpents are only found in jungles, where they prey on any living creature small enough for them to swallow (a regular-sized specimen can swallow a tapir or bison; the biggest fanged pythons are said to be able to swallow elephants).

These snakes are easily identified by their eponymous fangs. Their coils are not quite as muscular as an ordinary giant constrictor snake, but the extremely toxic venom in their fangs more than compensates.

Fanged pythons are excellent climbers and powerful swimmers, who will often be found up a tree, or in or near a river. Like any predator, they hunt wherever their prey congregates, so are usually encountered around game trails, drinking holes, and salt licks. These snakes hunt humanoids as readily as animals, even slithering into villages or aboard riverboats to snatch a victim.

One unusual trait of fanged pythons is that they're more social than most snakes. During the breeding season they form mated pairs who cooperate to guard their nest and its eggs.

A typical giant fanged python is between 40 and 50 feet long and weighs about 4000 pounds.

COMBAT

A giant fanged python's favorite tactic is dropping on prey from above, typically from a tree or cliff. They will also ambush opponents by hiding in water or undergrowth. Fanged pythons move fast for a snake, and will often chase after prey who escapes their initial lunge.

A fanged python tries to constrict as many opponents as it can handle, while using its poisonous bite against whichever foe is giving it the most trouble. These snakes are confident in their lethality, so will fight small groups of man-sized opponents simultaneously (such as adventurers). If they face an opponent too strong to easily constrict, such as a rhinoceros, a fanged python tries to inflict a few poisonous bites, then slithers away to wait for their venom to take effect.

Their weapons may be deadly, but fanged pythons are as keen to avoid death or injury as any serpents. They would much rather ambush weaker or unprepared victims than risk a straight-up fight against opponents of matching power. These snakes will readily slither away if an encounter turns against it, taking whatever route seems the safest. Typically, an escaping giant fanged python will climb a tree, dive into a river, or disappear down a burrow or snake-pit.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a giant fanged python must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.

Skills: Snakes have a +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on Balance and Climb checks. A snake can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. Snakes use either their Strength modifier or Dexterity modifier for Climb checks, whichever is higher. A snake has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

"I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you." - Batman, Batman Begins"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight"Yeah, I can fly." - Tony Stark, Iron Man"I have no plans to die today..." - Thor, Thor"We have a Hulk." - Tony Stark, The Avengers"Hulk...smash." - Captain America, The Avengers

Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling to the ground,
but it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
returned this flower to the dirt;
so it could live, I walked away now."
Rise Against - "The Good Left Undone"

This short, reptilian humanoid has short horns on its head and a tail. It has scaly skin of a rusty black color and glowing red eyes. The creature is dressed in ragged red clothes and blackened armor, and carries a warhammer and a handaxe.

Crypt kobolds were magically bred from ordinary kobolds by an unknown and perhaps unbalanced wizard, who experimented on the hapless humanoids. While some have escaped his service, they are most comfortable frequenting underground crypts and tombs, such as the one they were created to guard. Those still loyal to their creator may receive aid against invaders in the form of summoned fiends.

A kobold is 2 to 2-1/2 feet tall and weighs 35 to 45 pounds. Kobolds speak Draconic with a voice that sounds like that of a yapping dog.

COMBAT

Like most kobolds, crypt kobolds prefer to attack with overwhelming odds, and grow braver as their numbers exceed those of their adversaries.

Bravery in Numbers (Ex): Crypt kobolds are courageous and unflinching when they outnumber their opponents. They have a +4 bonus on opposed Intimidate checks and saves against all fear effects while they outnumber Medium or smaller adversaries. Large adversaries count as 4 Medium adversaries, and crypt kobolds cannot gain this bonus against Huge or larger foes.

Heightened Light Sensitivity (Ex): Crypt kobolds are dazzled by bright light such as a bullseye lantern or light spell.

"I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you." - Batman, Batman Begins"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight"Yeah, I can fly." - Tony Stark, Iron Man"I have no plans to die today..." - Thor, Thor"We have a Hulk." - Tony Stark, The Avengers"Hulk...smash." - Captain America, The Avengers

Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling to the ground,
but it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
returned this flower to the dirt;
so it could live, I walked away now."
Rise Against - "The Good Left Undone"

This short dog has stubby legs and a bushy tail. Its fur has a brownish-tan coloration, with a lighter reddish tinge on the head, neck and back. Its underside is darker, with a lighter patch on the throat.

A bushdog is a small canine that frequents wet savannahs and tropical forests. It feeds mostly on large rodents, hunting them by day and then lairing in a hollow log or cavity. Bushdogs typically live in packs that keep in constant communication with whining calls. The dense vegetation of their native habitat means they often can't see one another.

Bushdogs are strong swimmers, with skin growing between their toes that gives them partially webbed feet.

A typical bushdog is a few inches over 2 feet long (not including 4-6 inches of tail) and weighs 10 to 15 pounds.

COMBAT

A bushdog fights with its teeth. They would rather run away from humanoids, but may attack in self defense. A pack of bushdogs will fight together to protect each other or tackle prey.

Skills: Bushdogs have a +4 racial bonus on Swim checks. Bushdogs use either their Strength modifier or Dexterity modifier for Swim checks, whichever is higher. *Bushogs have a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.

"I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you." - Batman, Batman Begins"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight"Yeah, I can fly." - Tony Stark, Iron Man"I have no plans to die today..." - Thor, Thor"We have a Hulk." - Tony Stark, The Avengers"Hulk...smash." - Captain America, The Avengers

Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling to the ground,
but it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
returned this flower to the dirt;
so it could live, I walked away now."
Rise Against - "The Good Left Undone"

This bloblike creature is encased in a chambered shell. Long, stringy tentacles extend through pores dotting the surface of this shell.

These marine relatives of amoebas are found in sandy patches on the shallow sea floor, in both warm and cold oceans. An elphidium mostly just lies on the sea floor and stretches out thin filament-like pseudopods. Any passing bit of food that gets stuck to these pseudo-tentacles is pulled in to their body to be ingested.

A typical giant elphidium is 2 feet in diameter and weighs about 100 pounds.

COMBAT

Elphidium attacks with its pseudopod tentacles, grabbing opponents and gradually crushing them. If it kills an opponent, it pulls the corpse close to its body and slowly ingests its new meal.

An opponent can attack an elphidium's tentacles with a sunder attempt as if they were weapons. A giant elphidium's tentacles have 1 hit points each. If an elphidium is currently grappling a target with the tentacle that is being attacked, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the opponent making the sunder attempt. Severing one of an elphidium's tentacles does no damage to the creature. An elphidium can grow a replacement tentacle in 1d4 rounds.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a giant elphidium must hit with its tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and deals damage automatically every round.

Skills: Giant elphidium have a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.

"I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you." - Batman, Batman Begins"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight"Yeah, I can fly." - Tony Stark, Iron Man"I have no plans to die today..." - Thor, Thor"We have a Hulk." - Tony Stark, The Avengers"Hulk...smash." - Captain America, The Avengers

Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling to the ground,
but it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
returned this flower to the dirt;
so it could live, I walked away now."
Rise Against - "The Good Left Undone"

Mylodons are giant ground sloths related to the larger Megatherium. Their diets consist of trees and shrubs, and they graze mostly in open areas. Some mylodons use their powerful claws to dig out burrows up to 7 feet wide, 5 feet high, and up to 100 feet long.

This entry describes the larger varieties of mylodon. These bison-sized animals weigh around 2,500 pounds and stand about 10 feet tall when walking on their hind legs, or about 4 feet tall and 13 feet long when on all fours. See Lesser Ground Sloths, below, for details of the smaller species.

COMBAT

When pressed into combat, a mylodon charges into battle, trampling as many opponents as possible. Once surrounded, it will pin down its nearest foe while clawing at other enemies.

Improved Grab (Ex): If a mylodon hits an opponent that is at least one size category smaller than itself with a claw attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it gets a hold, it can pin down the opponent on its next successful grapple check.

Pin Down (Ex): A mylodon can make a grapple check against an already grappled opponent in an attempt to pin it down. If successful, the opponent is pinned down beneath the mylodon's claw. Pinned opponents take trample damage each round they are pinned, including the round in which the pin is established.

About the size of a black bear, lesser ground sloths are the smallest cousins of the giant ground sloth Megatherium. About 8 feet long and 2½ feet tall when walking on all fours, or 6 feet tall when walking upright, a lesser ground sloth usually weighs 400 to 500 pounds.

Pin Down (Ex): A lesser ground sloth can make a grapple check against an already grappled opponent in an attempt to pin it down. If successful, the opponent is pinned down beneath the sloth's claw. Pinned opponents take claw damage each round they are pinned, including the round in which the pin is established.

Giant Marine Sloth
Thalassocnus was a variety of giant sloth that had taken to see sea to graze on seaweed. A giant marine sloths' limbs are adapted for the water, this makes them good swimmers but prevents Thalassocnus from making trample attacks. They have the same stats as a normal mylodon, except for the following changes:

Hold Breath (Ex): A giant marine sloth can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 6 Χ its Constitution score before it risks drowning.

Skills: A giant marine sloth has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

"I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you." - Batman, Batman Begins"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight"Yeah, I can fly." - Tony Stark, Iron Man"I have no plans to die today..." - Thor, Thor"We have a Hulk." - Tony Stark, The Avengers"Hulk...smash." - Captain America, The Avengers

Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling to the ground,
but it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
returned this flower to the dirt;
so it could live, I walked away now."
Rise Against - "The Good Left Undone"

This creature looks like an opossum, except its thick fur is the metallic hue of polished copper. A long, prehensile tail trails behind it.

Copper opossums are a magical breed of opossum. They are only found in areas with a source of copper, such as an exposed seam of copper ore, since they need to eat small quantities of that metal to survive. A copper opossum's ideal habitat is an area of foothills with abundant trees, streams, and a supply of high-grade ore or raw copper.

The fur of a copper opossum contains real copper. Burning a copper opossum (or just its skin) in an an exceptionally hot fire (such as a forge) leaves behind 10d4+10 copper pieces worth of raw copper. Removing the skin from a dead copper opossum requires a DC 10 Survival check. The skin weighs 3 to 6 pounds.

Copper opossums are typically 2 to 3 feet long (up to half of which is tail) and weigh between 5 and 18 pounds.

A spellcaster with the Improved Familiar feat can acquire a copper opossum as a familiar. The spellcaster must be at least 3rd level. A copper opossum familiar grants a +2 bonus on Fort saves to its master plus a +2 bonus on all saves against poison. These bonuses stack, giving a +4 bonus on Fort saves against poison.

COMBAT

A copper opossum will curl into a ball and feign death if threatened. If attacked or handled, it will kick out with its hind legs' venomous spines.

Feign Death (Ex): A copper opossum can play dead with great accuracy. It rolls into a motionless ball and secretes a foul odor, so it looks and smells like a dead animal. Although able to smell, hear, and know what is going on, the opossum is effectively blind while feigning death.

A creature examining the copper opossum may attempt a Heal or Spot check opposed by the opossum's Disguise check to detect the ruse. The opossum gains a +8 circumstance bonus on Disguise checks to feign death.

Rake (Ex): If a copper opossum is in a grapple it gains a claws attack with its hind legs (attack bonus +5 melee, damage 1d3-4 plus stasis venom).

Stasis Venom (Su): A copper opossum has spines just above its hind feet that secrete a supernatural venom. Any creature injured by its rake attack must succeed on a DC 12 Fortitude save or be placed in a state of suspended animation for 2d4 days. An envenomed victim is unconscious and immobile, but has no need of food, water or air while in stasis. If a creature in stasis takes damage from any source they will awaken, fully alert, if they succeed on a DC 12 Fortitude save. The stasis can also be broken by a dispel magic or similar effect (effective caster level 3). Any effect that opposes poison, like the neutralize poison spell or a racial resistance or immunity to poison, will affect a copper opossum's venom as if it were a poison. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Skills: Copper opossums have a +4 racial bonus on Balance and Swim checks. Copper opossums have a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks, and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. They can use their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier for Climb, Jump and Swim checks.

In The Realms
In Faerun, copper opossums are native to the Cormyr foothills.

"I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you." - Batman, Batman Begins"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight"Yeah, I can fly." - Tony Stark, Iron Man"I have no plans to die today..." - Thor, Thor"We have a Hulk." - Tony Stark, The Avengers"Hulk...smash." - Captain America, The Avengers

Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling to the ground,
but it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
returned this flower to the dirt;
so it could live, I walked away now."
Rise Against - "The Good Left Undone"

A single page of paper drifts around the room, as if caught in a breeze. But what should be a pleasant floating motion seems purposeful and malign. It pauses in front of you, and begins folding itself into a different shape...

Gohei p'oh, also called paper ghosts, are minor spirits bound into a piece of paper that act as servitors and guards for evil arcane spellcasters. They will obey any simple command given them by their creator, fighting to the death if so instructed. Gohei p'oh are stupid beings who cannot understand any task more complex than guarding a room, delivering a message, or spending a night hiding in a room and then returning home. If ordered to do something beyond its limited mental powers, a gohei p'oh usually indicates its incomprehension and does nothing.

Paper ghosts are weak warriors but make excellent spies and sentries, since they're easy to overlook when lying doggo in their default form - who heeds a stray piece of paper?

These malevolent pieces of origami can fold themselves into difference forms to perform their duties; each form has its own powers. The most common forms are listed below. Some gohei p'oh may be able to assume different or additional forms.

Gohei p'oh cannot speak, but can understand all the languages known to their creator.

A typical gohei p'oh is about 11 inches by 14 inches in sheet form and nearly weightless.

COMBAT

A gohei p'oh will follow whatever combat tactics its creator orders it to perform. If simply told to "attack", a gohei p'oh usually uses the attack(s) of whatever form it happens to be in. Its default "sheet of paper" form attacks by trying to attach itself to an opponent's face and drain its breath.

Gohei p'oh have enough self-determination to change form during a fight, if that would give it a tactical advantage (provided its orders allow it that flexibility). They prefer to change form when not in melee, since they're unable to fight when refolding themselves.

Alternate Form (Su): A gohei p'oh can fold its body into a number of different forms. Changing to an alternate form is a full-round action. It can change forms at will, as often as it desires.

Ethereal Swallow (Su): Once per day, a gohei p'oh in box form can attempt to "swallow" a single opponent (or an unattended object). The gohei p'oh needs to hit the target with a 5 ft. ranged touch attack. The target must succeed at a DC 10 Will save, or be pulled "inside the box" and transferred to the Ethereal Plane at a point contiguous with the gohei p'oh's location. Targets transferred to the Ethereal Plane remain there for 1d4+1 days, and then return to the Material Plane at their original location. Alternatively, a gohei p'oh can become ethereal by "swallowing itself" and turning inside out, the gohei p'oh can then "swallow itself" again to return to the Material Plane at its original location, but must remain on the Ethereal Plane for at least a day. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Attach (Ex): If a gohei p'oh hits with its default form's slam attack, it automatically plasters itself over the opponent's face and begins to draining its victim's breath (see Breath Drain, below). An attached gohei p'oh is effectively grappling its opponent. The gohei p'oh loses its Dexterity bonus to AC and has an AC of 12, but holds on with great tenacity. gohei p'oh have a +12 racial bonus on grapple checks (already figured into the Base Attack/Grapple entry above).

An attached gohei p'oh can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached gohei p'oh through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the gohei p'oh.

Breath Drain (Su): A gohei p'oh can drain life force by absorbing a victim's breath, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage in any round when it begins its turn attached to a victim (Fort DC 12 for half damage). The gohei p'oh can feed off this drained breath (See Feeding Dependency). The save DC is Charisma-based.

Erase (Sp): A gohei p'oh can erase magical or mundane writings from a page or two of paper, parchment, or similar surfaces. This functions just like an erase spell (CL 3rd), except it has a range of 1 foot.

Hungry Paper (Ex): Unlike standard constructs, gohei p'oh need to eat. A gohei p'oh feeds on writing or life-energy using its Erase and Breath Drain special attacks. A gohei p'oh can eat up to 4 days' worth of "food" before becoming sated; it needs 1 page of writing or 1 point of Constitution to sustain itself for 1 day. The gohei p'oh loses 1 hit point for every day it goes hungry. If it loses all its hit points the gohei p'oh is destroyed. A gohei p'oh can regain hit points lost due to starvation by extra feeding on a 1:1 ration (e.g. if it feeds on 3 pages or Con points it recovers 2 hp).

A gohei p'oh can heal damage at the same rate as a living creature. A gohei p'oh cannot heal its injuries while it has hit points lost from starvation. The Heal skill has no effect on gohei p'oh, but a DC 15 Craft (origami) or Decipher Script check can provide long-term care to a damaged gohei p'oh, allowing it to recover from damage at twice the normal rate.

CONSTRUCTION
A gohei p'oh is created from a sheet of the finest parchment or silk paper. Pages from a book of evil lore are written upon this sheet in rare inks. The materials cost 100 gp. Creating this sheet of paper requires a DC 13 Craft (calligraphy) or a DC 13 Craft (papermaking) check.

After the page of evil lore is prepared, it is animated through an extended magical ceremony that requires a specially prepared library or workroom, similar to an alchemist's laboratory and costing 500 gp to establish. If the creator is personally constructing the creature's body, the building and ceremony can be performed together. Up to four gohei p'oh can be created simultaneously as part of the same ceremony, simply combine the cost of materials. As the ceremony is performed the writing upon the sheet of paper slowly fades, disappearing entirely as the gohei p'oh is animated.

A gohei p'oh with more than 2 Hit Dice can be created, but each additional Hit Die adds +2,000 gp to the cost to create.

"I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you." - Batman, Batman Begins"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight"Yeah, I can fly." - Tony Stark, Iron Man"I have no plans to die today..." - Thor, Thor"We have a Hulk." - Tony Stark, The Avengers"Hulk...smash." - Captain America, The Avengers

Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling to the ground,
but it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
returned this flower to the dirt;
so it could live, I walked away now."
Rise Against - "The Good Left Undone"